Maybe Ohio State needs Maurice Clarett after all.
The Buckeyes narrowly escaped N.C. State on Saturday, 44-38 in three overtimes, when T.A. McLendon came up a foot short of crossing the goal line on fourth-and-goal. The Buckeyes running game was non-existent as their running backs carried the ball 18 times for 8 yards. Quarterback Craig Krenzel was the leading rusher with 37 yards on 13 attempts. Although the Buckeyes were able to pass the ball effectively using Michael Jenkins and Ben Hartsock, if they can't find their running game they could be in some serious trouble when they get into their Big Ten schedule. Krenzel is questionable for the Buckeyes' game this weekend against Bowling Green.
Michigan, the Buckeyes' main competition for the Big Ten title, looked the part of a national champion on Saturday blasting Notre Dame 38-0. Michigan has all parts of its game rolling this season with Chris Perry leading the nation in rushing and John Navarre looking as smooth as ever. The Michigan defense anchored by lockdown corner Marlin Jackson has allowed just 10 points this season. The Wolverines still have four games this season against ranked opponents and outside of Indiana and Northwestern won't get much of a week off.
We're No. 117
Some teams -- Marshall and Connecticut -- have success when they join Division 1-A football.
And yet other programs never make the adjustment and become cellar dwellers and schedule fillers. This is the case of Buffalo, which has just one victory in its last 15 games. Since joining Division 1-A in 1999, the Bulls have never won more than three games in a season, including a winless season in 1999. The crowning achievement, however, came this past Saturday when for the second time in two seasons they dropped a contest to a Division 1-AA Patriot League team.
Colgate, more known as a brand of toothpaste than a football team, pasted Buffalo for over 600 yards of offense in defeating them 38-15.
For all the University of Buffalo fans that are looking for an estimated date of arrival on its next win. They can set their alarm clocks for 2004 and a game against Temple. Temple also has the honor of losing to a Division 1-AA school, when earlier this season the Owls lost 23-20 to Big 5 rival Villanova.
Houston beats Texas
Arkansas coach Houston Nutt never beat Texas when he was a player at Arkansas. He is now 2-0 as a coach against the Longhorns after his Razorbacks upset Texas 38-28 at Royal Memorial Stadium.
The key to the victory was the spectacular play of Arkansas quarterback Matt Jones, a reserve basketball player for the Razorbacks.
Jones threw for just 139 yards, but he also ran for 103 yards, including touchdowns through the air and ground.
He made the key play of the game facing a third-and-one on his own 39, late in the fourth quarter, taking a bootleg almost 60 yards to the Texas goal line setting up a game sealing field goal.
Texas will get a chance to rebound this Saturday with a game against minute Rice.
Upset of the Week
West Virginia is coming off of a tough loss to Cincinnati, 15-13. Some may look at that game as a bad loss, but Cincinnati is the real deal and the Mountaineers should not dwell upon it.
This week the Mountaineers will face Maryland in College Park. Maryland defeated an overmatched opponent in The Citadel 61-0 this past Saturday. On Saturday the Terps could be the overmatched opponent. Despite being underdogs (9 points) I see West Virginia keeping the game very close and there is a good chance they will get the victory straight up.
Last Week: I predicted Notre Dame would hang tight with Michigan. I couldn't have been more wrong as Michigan dominated the game from the outset. That was the first and only time I will ever pick Notre Dame.
